The Nanny

Cassie’s anxiety about keeping her online identity a secret from Aiden dominates her emotions in these chapters, reflecting the challenge of Overcoming Self-Doubt amid secrecy. Cassie thinks there is no chance of being able to have a relationship or even work with Aiden once she reveals she is Cici. She is also somewhat embarrassed about her past as she feels naive for even attempting to meet him in person. Though Cassie isn’t embarrassed about the fact she had an OnlyFans account—especially because Aiden used the site too—she is aware of the stigma sex workers face. On top of this, Cassie must hide the secret that she is attracted to Aiden through most of these chapters. Her dual secret makes her life complicated, and though she can separate it from her time with Sophie, she finds it much harder to do so with Aiden. Cassie tries to compartmentalize these facets of her life, stating, “There have been moments this week where I’ve wondered if it should bother me, the fact that I’m receiving wages from the man I’m sleeping with—but I tell myself that the two things are wholly separate” (212). By keeping so many aspects of her identity secret, Cassie is only feeding into her self-doubt. She believes her past will prevent her from having a happy relationship, but by not telling Aiden the truth, she is not giving him the chance to prove her wrong. In other words, Cassie’s secret identity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, preventing her from truly connecting with Aiden and overcoming her self-doubt.

Beyond the anxiety caused by her past work on OnlyFans, Cassie’s self-doubt continues to be influenced by the negative self-image instilled in her by her parents, illustrating how The Effects of Parenting on Children can be felt long past childhood. Cassie sees herself as a burden, an identity she has carried with her since childhood. She thinks she is hindering Sophie and Aiden’s relationship. When she and Sophie spend time together, Cassie feels guilty that Sophie has to talk about her emotions with her rather than her father. When Sophie asks if Cassie can come to Disneyland with her and Aiden, Cassie tells them, “I would hate to intrude on your family time” (139), thinking that neither Sophie nor Aiden would truly want her there. Just as Cassie must assuage Aiden’s doubts about Sophie wanting to spend time with him, Aiden must tell Cassie that Sophie is fond of her several times before she starts to believe it is possible. Yet Cassie still has doubts about Aiden’s feelings toward her. Even when he tells Cassie he is attracted to her, Cassie thinks, “I tell myself not to hope, not to read too much into this, every instance of doing so thus far has left me disappointed” (164). Cassie’s continued self-doubt demonstrates how she has internalized negative lessons from her childhood and past as a form of self-protection.

The Necessity of Support Systems develops as a central theme in this section as various relationships begin to change, and characters come to rely on each other in new ways. The most significant change occurs in Cassie and Aiden’s relationship. Once they recognize that they are both attracted to one another, the plot of the novel shifts its focus to their relationship, exploring how Aiden and Cassie balance their professional and romantic lives together. The novel’s other primary relationships also progress. Cassie continues to bond with Sophie, who lets her nanny know about more of her feelings and secrets. They bond over their absent parents in childhood, and their near-constant companionship makes both less lonely. Aiden’s relationship with Sophie also begins to shift. Due to Cassie’s influence, Aiden begins to seek out more ways to spend time with his daughter, which also often translates to spending time with Cassie. After Cassie tells him what Sophie said at the beach about missing him, some of Aiden’s insecurities about being a bad father start to dissipate, and he makes more of an effort to balance his work and family life. The budding friendship between Cassie and Iris also develops in these chapters. Iris is surprised when Cassie treats her kindly, despite what Iris had said to her in the past. Yet because of her closeness with Sophie and Aiden, Cassie knows getting on Iris’s good side will be beneficial for the whole family. All of these relationships will continue to change throughout the novel, yet these chapters lay the foundations for many of the conflicts these characters will later face.